Ball and cue racking device.



E. A. THOMAS.

BALL AND CUE BACKING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR; 14, 1914.

1, 1 27,31 8, Patented Feb.2, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

THE NORRISPETERS 60.. FHOTC-LITHQ, WASHINGTON, D. c.

E. A. THOMAS.

BALL AND CUE BACKING DEVICE.

APPLICATION FILED MALM, 1914.

Patented Feb. 2, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET Z.

"HE NORRIS PETERS COUPHOTOLIIHQ.wA r1INbTON. D. C.

EUGENE A. THOMAS, 0F SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH.

BALL AND CUE BACKING DEVICE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 2, 1915..

Application filed March 14, 1914. Serial No. 824,814.

To all 2072011? it may concern Be it known that I, EUGENE A. THOMAS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Salt Lake City, in the county of Salt Lake and State of Utah, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ball and Cue Racking Devices, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to pool hall racks, and has for its object to provide a device which may be suspended over a pool; table within which the balls are racked and by which they may be readily and accurately assembled on the table. l

A further object of my device is to pro vide a means of keeping an accurate register of the points made by the players in the game as the game progresses and in assembling the balls for another game the marking device is re-set and the score of the previous game is obliterated.

A further object of my device is to assemhis all of the paraphernalia of the game over the table in order that the cues, chalk. triangle and score cards may be convenient.

These objects I accomplish with the device illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which similar letters and numerals of reference indicate like parts throughout the several figures and as described in the specification forming a part of this application and pointed out in the appended claims.

In the drawings in which I have shown a substantial embodiment of my invention, Figure l is a view in perspective of a pool table with my device suspended thereover. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the weight case and cue rack, parts cut away, and parts in section. Fig. 3 is an elevation of the ball rack and score register, parts cut away, and parts in section. Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section of the gear case immediately back of the dial face. Fig. 5 is an elevation of the combined ball rack and triangle, showing it in the horizontal position with the balls in the rack and in position to be correctly assembled on the table by removing the slide.

It is my intention to provide a device for use in large pool halls and in open'air pavilions where it is not desirable or convenient to have the triangle, cues, ball racks, and scoring means on the Walls, or on racks between the tables.

I have shown an ordinary pool table A,

over which my device is suspended from the ceiling B.

My device consists of tubes 1 and 2 vertically suspended from the ceiling through the ceiling-plates 3 and 4 respectively.

A. cable 5 having a weight 6 secured at one end and a ball rack 7 on the other end is operated oversheaves 8 that are journaled in the upper ends of said tubes. A portion of said cable 5 is operated within said tube 1 and has secured thereon a smaller tube 9 which telescopes within said tube 1. Pas tened on the lower end of said tube 1 is a Y-shaped case 10 within which the triangular ball case" 7 is normally held by the weight 6. The connection between the end of said cable 5 and said ball case 7 is flexible and is shown as a chain 12. An elongated opening or slot 13 is cut in the side of said tube 1 just above the V-shaped case 7 within which a spring catch 14, similar to an umbrella catch, engages. Said catch is secured within said tube 9, and engages tube 1 when said catch is brought contiguous said slot.

Horizontal tubes 15 are attached to said tube 1. forming in shape a cross, the outer ends of which are supported by ornamental chains 16. Bell crank levers 17 are pivoted within'said tubes 15 with one arm of each pivoted to a link rod 18 operated within said tube. The other arm of each of said levers 17 is held in contact with said inner tube 9, by means of spiral springs 19 carried on said rods 18. Said ball rack 7 consists of two triangular cases 20 and 21, with a detach able partition 11. The case 20 has a closed cover -22 provided with fifteen circular holes through which the balls are inserted. Said cover 22 and the partition 11 forms a ball rack within which the balls are placed as pocketed during the game. Said partition 11 is appropriately numbered adjacent said holes in the cover to indicate the particular ball to be placed in the hole.

The case 21 is the equivalent of the ordinary triangle by which pool balls are usually assembled on a pool table, and is made slightly smaller than the case 20 to properly freeze the balls when they are left on the table. On the outer end of each of said horizontal tubes'15 is secured a register case C consisting of two rectangular plates 23 between which is mounted the registering mechanism. Said mechanism consists of a pinion 24 having fifteen teeth thereon and journaled on a shaft 25. A pulley 26 is secured on said shaft 25 and rotates with said shaft. A detent 27 is pivoted on the side of said pulley and engages the teeth of said pinion 24. A helical spring 28 has one end fastened to said case C and the other end to said shaft 25. A cord 29 has one end fastened to said pulley 26 and is wound thereon. A gear wheel 30 is mounted between said plates 23 havingteeth which mesh with the teeth of said pinion 24 and is spring controlled by the helical spring 31. A spring held detent 32 engages the teeth of said gear wheel 30. Said detents 27 and 32 are both moved on their pivots by the said rod 18 when it is moved longitudinally. Said rod 18 is pivoted to the lever 33 and a link 35 connects said lever 33 and the detent 32. A dial 34 is fastened to'said case C and has two sets of numbers reading from 1 upward, printed clockwise thereon and in concentric circles, the inner set of numbers read from 1 to 15 and the others read much higher, as shown in 120. A hand or pointer 36 is mounted on said shaft 25 and another hand -37 is secured to a sleeve that is carried on said shaft 25 and is rotated by appropriate gears meshing with said gear 30. Said sleeve and the gears to move the same are not shown on the drawings. On said tube 2 is secured the cue rack and chalking device which consists of a cross bar 40 perforated to receive the upper ends of the cues 41 which are held at their lower ends in another cross bar 42. Said bar 42 is fastened on the lower end of said tube 2 and is suitably supported at the ends by the ornamental chains 16.

I A chalk holding case 43 is secured on the end of a cord 44 which is operated over sheaves 45 suitably secured to said bar 42. The other end of the said cord 44 is wound on a spring controlled drum 46 which is mounted below said bar 42. A

The o eration of my device is as follows :\Viththe parts assembled and the balls within their respective cylinders the said rack 7 is drawn downward toward the table A, by a cable 5 moving over the sheaves and drawing the weight 6 upward within the said tube 2. When the said tube 9 is drawn downward within said tube 1 until the said springcatch 14 is" contiguous the slot 13 and the said rack will lie on said table as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 3. The upper end of said tube 9; which is cone shaped, will pass below said bell crank levers 17 and the springs 19 will move the rods 18 toward each other. This movement of said rods will move the lever 33 and disengage the'detents 27 and 32 and if the springs 28' and 31 are in tensionthe gear will be rotated and the register will set; the

hands on the dial at Zero.- By withdrawing the said partition 11 the balls will fall into cone shaped end thereof will move said bell crank levers 17 on their pivots and said rods 18 will be moved longitudinally outward. As balls are pocketed the player may record the number of the'ball by pulling down one of the cords 29, and rotate the shaft 25 sufiiciently to move the hand 36 to the number on the inner circle of the dial corresponding with the number of the ball so pocketed. The rotation of said shaft 25 will also rotate the pinion 24 the number of teeth equal to thenumber of the ball and correspondingly the gear 30. The respective detents will allow this forward movement of the gears and hold. against any backward rotation. The spring 28 on the shaft 25 will return the pulley 26 to normal position, but the gear 30 with the index hand 37 will be held by the detent 32. When the next ball is pocketed by the same player he will again pull down on the same cord 29 and again rotate the pinion 24 the number of teeth equal to the number of the second ball, the gear 30 will be advanced or rotated to the position equal to the sum of the two balls thus far pocketed, and so on as each ball is pocketed and the number registered by the pinion 24 and added on the gear 30. A dial and registering device is provided for each player at a table.

Having thus described my invention I desire to secure by Letters Patent and claim:

1. In a device of the class described the combination of two vertically suspended tubes; a weight slidable in one of said tubes;

a ball rack suspended below the other tube; a cable connecting said weight and said rack and operated over sheaves journaled in the upper end of said tubes. I

2. In a device of the class described the combination of two vertically suspended tubes; a weight slidable in one of said tubes; a cue rack supported by said tube; a ball rack suspended below the other tube; a cable operated over sheaves and connecting said weight and said ball rack.

3. A combined ball and one racking device consisting of two spaced apart tubes suspended over a pool table; a ball rack suspended below one of said tubes; a weight slidable in the other of said tubes; a cable operatedover sheaves and connecting said rack and said weight; and an inner tube slidable in the tube below which said ball rack is suspended having a spring catch mounted therein to engage in the side of the inclosing tube.

4. A ball and one racking device consisting of a verticallywsuspended tube-having a longitudinal slot in the side; a Weighted cord slidable in said tube; an inner tube adapted to telescope Within said first mentioned tube and carried on said cord; a ball rack flexibly fastened to the lower end of said inner tube; another vertical tube Within which the weight on said cord is slidable; and a cue rack secured on the lower end of the last mentioned tube.

5. A ball rack formed with two compartments one smaller than the other, a cover for the larger compartment provided with openings through which pool balls may be passed, and removable ball supporting means between said compartments.

In testimony whereof I have affixed my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

EUGENE A. THOMAS.

Witnesses:

SAM RANEY, JOHN MARESH.

Copiesof this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. (3.? 

